Clendons to debut new VR4 at Tea Creek

MASTERTON couple Peter and Kath Clendon, pictured left, have a new weapon in their bid for Central Region rally series honours this year.
They have bought the highly-competitive Mitsubishi Galant VR4 formerly owned by Ian Taylor, and later, Doug Breden. The car has been a regular visitor to Wairarapa over the years.
It's a big step up for the pair, officially classed as rookies yet leading class E for older turbo 4WD vehicles after 5th overall and first in class in round one at Taranaki. Kath Clendon is also leading the regional co-drivers class.
They traded in their own VR4 plus some cash for the new car, which will make its debut in the Tea Creek Road hillclimb on Sunday.
An excited Clendon describes the new car as "what you'd get if you were asked to build a no-expense-spared VR4 rally car".
It has done just three rallies following a total rebuild, back to bare shell. The motor has been built to cope with "huge" boost ? a maximum of 28lb ? and is delivering 300hp at the wheels.
The power plant is coupled to a six-speed Albins dogbox transmission, all of which translates, says Clendon, to a potential 1 second a kilometre improvement over the old car. It doesn't sound a lot, but over the length of a typical rally that's a whopping four minutes.
"It makes our job so much easier," said Clendon. "I won't have to drive so hard ? the car will do the work."
It still qualifies for class E, which suits Clendon.
"I don't want a modern," he said this week. "I like beating moderns with an older car."